Former NFL QB Recalls Choosing Ravens Over Steelers

Brian St. Pierre's time with the Baltimore Ravens was brief, but very interesting nonetheless.

Aug. 22, 2009; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback (2) Brian St. Pierre against the San Diego Chargers during a preseason game at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The name Brian St. Pierre may not ring many bells for Baltimore Ravens fans, and understandably so as he never appeared in a game during his one season with the team in 2005.

While St. Pierre's time in Baltimore was brief, it was a very interesting chapter of his career.

The Ravens picked up St. Pierre as a waiver claim from the Pittsburgh Steelers, and in doing so, interfered with their rivals' plans. Pittsburgh seemingly waived St. Pierre to make room for another player, but intended to bring him back in some way. With Baltimore putting in a claim though, that plan went by the wayside.

"They [Steelers] actually cut me at the end of my third year of camp to try and bring me back the following week, but they wanted to try and finagle a roster spot," St. Pierre said in an interview with the Recruiting Board YouTube channel. "So I made final cuts, then they cut me after final cuts just to try and do a one for one, roster wise, and then bring me back. Then Baltimore picked me up. I had to go. As a young guy, you don't have rights in terms of, if they put a waiver claim in, you have to go."

Interestingly, St. Pierre had a chance to return to the Steel City just a few weeks later, as the Steelers were looking for someone to fill in for the injured Ben Roethlisberger early into the 2005 season. However, the backup quarterback turned that offer down, leaving Pittsburgh feeling scorned in the process.

"I went to Baltimore and I was on the practice squad for the first couple weeks. Ben gets hurt and Pittsburgh calls and wants me to come back, and I told them no," St. Pierre said. "I told them no because Ozzie Newsome in Baltimore said, 'We're gonna bring you up on the roster.' I saw more of a chance. ... Saw a potential chance there, so I stayed in Baltimore, and Pittsburgh was mad."

St. Pierre would eventually return to the Steelers a year later in 2006, spending two more years in black and gold. In a cruel twist of irony, the Steelers won the Super Bowl the year after he left two separate times, and he was even on the losing end of one of those victories as a member of the Arizona Cardinals in 2008.

St. Pierre, now 44, retired after eight NFL seasons entirely as a backup. While he was never a true NFL starter, St. Pierre's story on both sides of the Ravens-Steelers rivalry is undoubtedly a fascinating one.

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